Camp Crame to CIDG-7: Stop operating vs illegal drugs

THE Criminal Investigation and Detection Group in Central Visayas (CIDG-7) was ordered to keep their hands off drug-related operations by the national police headquarters in Camp Crame.

Chief Insp. Hector Amancia, deputy chief of CIDG-7, said the memorandum was issued last April 6, but he refused to divulge the reason for the order.

“It is not for us to comment on the matter. All we have to do is to comply with it,” he said in an interview yesterday.

Last Jan. 30, on orders of President Duterte, Philippine National Police (PNP) Chief Ronald “Bato” dela Rosa prohibited all policemen from conducting anti-drug operations following the death of Korean businessman Jee Ick-joo at the hands of rogue policemen inside Camp Crame.

Jee was taken from his home in Angeles, Pampanga, last October 18, 2016 by policemen of the PNP Anti-Illegal Drugs Group in the guise of a drug operation.

Dela Rosa said the PNP will form a counter-intelligence task force against rogue cops and prioritize internal cleansing.

But last March, the police’s role in the war on illegal drugs was reinstated through the creation of the Drug Enforcement Unit whose members were carefully selected.

As of press time, it remained unclear as to why CIDG-7 had continued to operate against illegal drugs prior to the April 6 memorandum to stop.

In an interview, Amancia said that instead of conducting anti-drug operations, CIDG-7 will now focus on arresting the ten most wanted criminals in the region.

They will also go after other criminals with pending warrants of arrest, said Amancia.

CIDG-7 chief Supt. Royina Garma told Cebu Daily News that Camp Crame also ordered CIDG-7 to hasten their investigation into the financial assets of suspected personalities on President Duterte’s drug list.

They would include self-confessed Cebu drug lords Franz Sabalones and the late Jeffrey Jaguar Diaz who was killed in a shootout with police operatives in Las Piñas, Metro Manila, last June 2016.

Garma said that the case of Lagtang Talisay Barangay Captain Mark Ferdinand Bas, who was arrested last Sunday for illegal possession of firearms and ammunition, will also be investigated by CIDG-7.

According to Garma, CIDG-7 now has a list of names to be investigated for their alleged offenses including members of the PNP.

Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA) Regional Director Yogi Filemon Ruiz said that PDEA-7 was ready to support CIDG-7 with its investigation into drug criminals with pending warrants of arrest.